Choose to Challenge- International Women's Day
What will you “Choose to Challenge” this International Women’s Day? In the words of spoken word poet, Anisa Nandaula, “Gender is a pre-written book, but not all the girls’ stories end the same.” Even today, there are girls forced into early marriages or actively kept out of school. Girls remain uneducated about their bodies, or the possibility of a future outside of marriage and motherhood. Our community health worker colleagues and school teachers choose to challenge these issues and empower women and children so that this is no longer their pre-written story.
In all 4 countries where we serve, community health workers educate girls about their menstrual cycle and hygiene in an environment where they feel comfortable and unashamed. Women are taught family planning so they can have more control over the number of children they have. Children are weighed and monitored throughout their first five years of life, making sure they are developing on track and have the chance to thrive. These are things that often can be taken for granted, but can make a world of difference.
In Zambia, our Girls Achievement Program (GAP) for grades 5-7 includes team building, female development and hygiene, and emphasizes how important it is for girls to stay in school and avoid early marriage. After completing 7th grade, HealthEd Connect provides GAP scholarships for girls to continue their education through 12th grade, while offering academic and emotional support from a life coach. The Keeping In Touch (KIT) Club connects the two programs, giving younger girls the opportunity to connect with and be uplifted by the older girls who have continued on to pursue their high school certification. This cycle of role models helps to encourage GAP students that their education is important and worth the effort.
We choose to challenge the lack of access to health care and education - both at home and in the classrooms. What will you choose to challenge this International Women’s Day?